Sounding device



- Jan. 7, 193i). F. 1. LAUTER 1,742,256

SOUNDING- DEVICE Filed May 16,` 1928 INVENTOR Y qllaater Patented Jan. 7, 1930 FRED I. LAUTER, or New Yoan, 1v. Y.

SQU'NDING DEVICE Applicationmfr May- 1e,

lc-sequence off the-gravity movement 4ofthebellws,.and controllmeansrfor the emitted sound` which4 performsr its-l sound articulating function independently of' themovement eff the bellows.

l5.. A more specificobjectis to provide, in com- `binat-ion with` a means for producing sound to be emitted through: a suitable sound Opeliing` controlled by a movable closure,y a sound `articulatingmechanism comprising aplural- Zfity of gravity controlled elementsJintei-Lcoir' nectedr with` each other andi having operative engagement wit'hrtlie cl'osure member `to Lcause successive opening@ off' said member in ar predetermined. manner.

A further specific object is toprovide in combination: witl'r a-bellowshaiving a gravity movable part for producing sound" to be emitted' throughi a suitable sound-f opening controlled by a movable closure, a sound 3c articulating mechanism adapted to` open the closure ai plurality of times during the movement of: themovablefpart" ofthe bellows but without?` relation to the precise position of said movable partof the bell'ows;` Other objects*` andi aims-` ot the invention, more or" less: specific than those referred to above, will be in= part obvious and in part pointed out in thecourse'offthef following description ofr the elements, combinations, arrangements of' partei-andi applications-of prin` ciples constituting the' invention; and the scope off protection contemplated will be i`n dicated in the appended! claims.

lin'. the: accompanyingA drawings which are to be taken as a part of'thisfspeciicatiomand in which I have shown merely a preferred form of'emb'odiment ofthe invention?- Fig: 1 is a verticall sectional' view through a sounding device constructed in accordance with this invention.

192s. Serial No. 278,184.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view taken upon the plane of line II--I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar t0 that seen in Fig.

'l except that the enclosing casing isomitted and the device is shown as it appears when moved to its opposite extreme position as compared with the position Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that seen inFig. 3 but showing the parts as they appear when the device is in an intermediate position.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail` the structure illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates an enclosing casing or housing within which the operative mechanism is contained. This housing may be of any appropriate shape or construction and may be of either sheet metal, cardboard or other material. It is preferably, though not necessarily, of rectangular form including a bottom wall l, four side walls as 2--2, and a top wall as 3. Any or all of the walls of this housing may be perforated, as indicated at 44k so that the sound may readily pass outwardly through the housing.

Within this housing is a bellows member as G moiinted in a relatively fixed position eX- tending diagonally of thehousing as clearly seen in Fig. l. It may be held in position by any appropriate means but for the purpose of the present illustration is shown to be held by a plurality of fastening devices as 5-5 by which it is connected with adjacent side walls of the housing. i

Adjacent this fixed bellows member is a relatively movable bellows member H. This is pivotally connected with themember G, as at 6, and there is the usualflexible bellows cloth as 7 connected between said two bellows members.

The memberH is preferably weightedl as for instance by the use of an auxiliaryweight as 8 connected at its free end.

Connected with the stationary bellows member G is a tube 9, the hollow interior of which is in communication with the interior of the bellows as by a passage-way 10 provided through the stationary bellows member. At the outer endV of the tube 9 is a reed ll, all in such relation that when the bellows member H moves by gravity to open the belflows air for lilling the bellows will move through the reed and thereby sound the reed.

Built about the outer end of the tube 9, and surrounding the reed is a box or sound chamber as 12 having a movable closure as 13 hinged thereto as at 14 and constituting one of the side walls of the chamber, it being here noted that the sound chamber is so shaped that one of its entire side walls is omitted except t'or the presence of the closure and that hence an extremely large opening is aiiiorded for the emission of sound from within the chamber whenever the closure is open. By this arrangement it is possible to produce an ample volume of sound notwithstanding the fact that the reed is made to operate during the time only when air is being drawn inwardly toward the bellows.

The closure 13 is preferably weighted, as by a small weight 15 which always tends to hold vthe closure closed.

Adjacent to the closure 13 is a bracket 16 upon which is pivotally mounted two sepag rately formed and independently movable levers 17 and 18 cach having a ball or weight as 19 at its lower end so that it is adapted to swing by gravity about the common pivot pin 20.

The closure 13 has an arm 21 rigidly connected therewith and projecting laterally therefrom parallel with Vthe pivot 2O and spaced slightly from said pivot. Upon the lever 17 is a .finger 22 lor engaging the undersurface of the arm 21 to lift the closure when the lever 17 swings between its extreme positions. And, upon the lever 18 is a inger 23 for engaging the under-surface of said arm to lift the closure when the lever 18 swings between its extremes.

Upon a bracket piece 24 is a trip lever 25', being pivotally mounted upon the bracket 24 as at 25 and having one end provided with a cam piece 26 disposed in the path of movement of the weight 19 of lever 17. The opposite end of the trip lever extends only slightly from the pivot 25 and is shaped to provide a platform or stop as 27 arranged to be engaged by a shoulder as 28 provided upon the weight of lever 18.

When the device is in its normal position, as indicated in Fig. 1 (it being understood that the doll within which the device is intended to be used would at this time be in its upright position) the lever 18, hanging straight downwardly rom the pivot 20, has its shoulder 28 adjacent and in opposition to the stop 27 so that movement off the doll will not immediately produce appreciable swinging of this lever, it being noted at this point that the trip lever 25 is weighted as at 29 to hold the stop 27 in the path of the shoulder 28.

The lever 17 also hangs straight downwardly from the pivot 20 at this time and the fingers 22 and 23 are free of the arin 21 so 1'53 that the closure 13 is tightly closed. Also the movable member H of the bellows is being held by the weight 8 with the bellows closed.

When now the device is rotated bodily in the direction as suggested by the arrow 30 (that is when the doll is moved to a reclining position) the lever 17 will swing freely about its pivot. The nger 22 will lift the closure soon after the movement of the device begins, as indicated in Fig. 4, and then again drop the closure. At about this time the weight 19 upon said lever will engage the cam piece 26 of the trip lever, as in Fig. 3, and release the lever 18 which will immediately swing downwardly and bring its finger 23 in position again opening the closure 13.

The closure will be thus opened, momentarily closed, and again opened during the time while the device is moving bodily between its two eXtreme positions (that is during the time while the doll is being moved from an upright to a reclining position).

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the member H of the bellows will move to open position concurrently with the opening and closing of the closure 13 but that the actuating weights or devices for the'bellows and for the closure are quite distinct and independent from each other.

While the sound chamber, with its closure and the closure actuating devices are here shown and described as being contained within a single housing L and in close proximity to each other, using only a short length of tube 9, it will be understood that if desired the tube 9 may be lengthenedto permit the placing of the sound chamber and sound articulating means at any position upon the doll remote from the bellows and the bellows actuating element.

The free swinging gravity action of the two levers 17 and 18 causes them lto fully complete their cycle of operation while the doll is being moved from an uprightto a reclining position. The gravity operation of the bellows however is always retarded, due to the necessity for inward movement of air to supply the vacuum which tends to be formed within the bellows during the opening of the bellows. While movement of the levers and of the bellows both begin about the same time that of the levers is completed before that of the bellows and hence the continued opening movement oit the bellows after Cab is during the time while the-linger 22 of lever of the sound chamber closure. The separation between the two syllables of the word is produced as the doll nears its reclining position, that is when the linger 22 drops the closure. The second syllable of the word is produced as the lever 17 trips the lever 25 and releases the lever 18 so that the linger 23 again opens the sound chamber closure.

When the device, or the doll, is returned to normal position the levers 17 and 18 will swing relatively backwardly from the position Fig. 3 to `the position Fig. 1, as will also the movable member of the bellows, and the device be thus made ready for a subsequent operation. l

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device for producing articulated sound, the combination with a reed adapted to produce sound by movement ot air therethrough, a bellows having a member movable by gravity to cause a flow of air through said reed, means providing a sound chamber into which the reed communicates and having a sound emitting opening, and a movable closure for said opening, ot actuating means to move the closure open a plurality of times at each operation of the device comprising parts arranged t-ohave operative engagement with the'closure and being weighted for gravity movement independently of the bellows.

2.`In a device for producing articulated sound, the combination with a reed adapted to produce sound by movement ot air therethrough, a bellows having a member movable by gravity to cause a flow of air through said reed, means providing a sound chamber into which the reed communicates and having a sound emitting opening, and a movable closure for said opening, of actuating means to move the closure open a plurality of times at each operation of `the device comprising a plurality of members each arranged to have operative engagement with the closure and each being independently weighted for gravity movement independently ot the bellows and of each other.

3. In a device for producing articulated sound `corresponding with the word ina-ina, the combination with a reed adapted to produce sound by movement of air therethrough, a bellows having a member movable by gravity to cause a iiow of air through said reed,

'y means providing a`sound chamber into which 17 1s swinging across under the extension 21 i,

the reed communicates `and havingl a sound emitting opening, anda `movable closure for said opening, of actuating means for said closure comprising one member arranged to have operative engagement with the closure and being weighted `for gravity movement independently of the bellows,`to press against' and open the closure for permitting passage of sound representing the first syllable of .the word ma-ma, and a second member also arranged to have operative engagementwith the closure and being weighted for gravity movement independently `of the bellows, and

ofthe first member to press against anda-gain` open the closure for permitting passage of sound representing the second syllable of the word ina-ma. i

4. In a deviceA for producing articulated sound, the combination with a reed adapted to produce sou-nd by movement of air therethrough, a bellows having a member movable by gravity to cause a flow of air through said reed, means providing a sound chamber into whichthe reed communicates and having a sound emitting opening, andI a movable closure for said opening, of actuating means `for said closure comprising a member arranged to have operative engagement with the closure and being weighted for gravity movement independently of the bellows, together with a second member also arranged to have operative engagement with the closure and being weighted independently of the lirst member tor gravity movement, and trip mechanism,

co-operative between said two members to cause operation of the second at the end of an operation of the lirst.

5. In a device for producing articulated sound,`the combination with a reed adapted to produce sound by movement of air therethrough, a bellows having a member movable by gravity to cause a flow of air through said reed, means providing a sound chamber into which the reed communicates and having a sound emitting opening, and a movable closure for said opening, of actuating means for said closure comprising two separately formed members pivotally mounted and being independently weighted for gravity movement about their pivots, each of said members having portions movable therewith to engage a part of the closure, and means providing interengagemeiit between said members to cause operation of one at the end;

of operation of the other.

6. In a sounding device of the class described, a reed, means to cause a flow of air through the reed for sounding the reed, means providing a sound chamber into which the reed communicates having a sound emitting opening, a movable closure for said opening, actuating means for said closure comprising a member pivotally mounted adjacent the closure, said member being ate the closure during second member pivotally gravity controlled to swing relatively about its ivot when the device is rotated from one position to another, and said member having va projection for engaging the closure to opert e relative swinging movement of said member.

7. In a sounding device of the class described, a reed, means to cause a flow of air through the reed for sounding the reed, means Yproviding a sound chamber into which the reed communicates having a sound emitting opening, a movable closure for said opening, actuatingmeans for said closure comprising a member pivotal ly mounted adjacent the closure, said member being gravity controlled to swing relatively about its pivot when the device is rotated from one position' to another, and said member having a projection for engaging the closure to operate the closure during the relative swinging movement of said member, together with a mounted and wei hted independently of the first member, sai second member also having a projection for engaging the closure to operate the elosure during the relative swinging movement of said` second member, and connections between4 the two members to cause successive movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

- FRED I. LAUTER. 

